Alternative Cures : The Most Effective Natural Home Remedies for 160 Health Problems

by Bill Gottlieb

• ISBN13: 9781579540586
• ISBN10: 1579540589
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2000-11-04
• Publisher: Rodale Books
• More Book Details
• Purchase Benefits

Summary

FROM "OVERWEIGHT" CHAPTERFats That Can Help You Losem Fat supplements? For a person who's trying to lose weight, the idea of taking fat in a pill sounds like a cruel joke. But here's what you may not know: A deficiency of certain types of good fats, called essential fatty acids (EFA), that your body requires can lead you to crave and overeat the bad kinds of fats and put on extra pounds. That's the opinion of Ann Louise Gittleman, a certified nutrition specialist in Bozeman, Montana. "Fat phobia is the cause of so much overweight in this country," she says. "Yes, saturated fats in animal products and trans-fats in processed foods are bad for your health. But not getting enough of the good fats-the essential fatty acids found in foods like fatty fish, certain oils, leafy greens, avocados, and nuts and seeds-is also bad for your health." The different types of EFA, she believes, actually stimulate fat metabolism so that your body burns more fat, trigger the production of hormones that make you feel full, and balance your body's levels of insulin (the hormone that burns sugars, so you don't crave high-calorie sugars and other fattening carbohydrates. Most Americans are deficient in various essential fatty acids, such as gamma-linolenic acid, alpha-linolenic acid (LNA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahex-aenoic acid (DHA), Gittleman believes. The best way to make sure that you get enough of all those types of EFA, each of which is crucial in helping you lose weight, is with EFA supplements, Gittleman says. Here's what she recommends:FLAXSEED OIL: Reset Your Thermostat The LNA and other omega-2 fatty acids found in flaxseed oil help reset your body's thermostat to a normal level so you burn excess calories, Gittleman says. They also help normalize insulin metabolism, thus reducing sugar cravings. She recommends 1 tablespoon a day with a meal. Flaxseed is a great supplement, Gittleman says, and can be safely taken on a regular basis.GLA: Activate Brown Fat GLA helps you lose weight by activating dormant brown fat, the type of fat that helps burn excess calories. "Brown fat makes it possible to expend ingested fat as energy rather than storing it as excess white fat," Gittleman says. "Many of my clients who had 10 pounds or more to lose have reported dramatically successful results by taking four to eight 500-milligram capsules of GLA-rich evening primrose oil a day."CLA: Inhibit the Enzyme That Stores Fat The essential fatty acid conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) may help in your weight-loss efforts, says Gittleman. In a scientific study, people who took 3,000 milligrams of CLA daily lost 20 percent of their body fat in 3 months without dieting, she says. The theory is that CLA interferes with the production of lipase, an enzyme that affects the way the body metabolizes fat. She recommends taking 1,000 milligrams three times a day before meals. As a bonus, CLA may have breast cancer-fighting properties and general immune-enhancing properties, Gittleman adds.FISH OIL: Balance Your Overall Fat Intake Although the fatty acids found in fish oil do not directly help with weight loss, they are crucial for balancing your overall intake of fats and maintaining good health, Gittleman says. She recommends taking 1,000 milligrams of the product SuperMaxEPA two or three times daily.

Author Biography

Bill Gottlieb has been writing and editing in the field of health for more than 25 years. The former senior vice president and editor in chief of Rodale Books, he was the creator and supervising editor of the 10-million-copy bestseller The Doctor's Book of Home Remedies and author of New Choices in Natural Healing. His writing has appeared in Prevention, Reader's Digest, Men's Health, Health, Women's Sports and Fitness, Bottom Line/Health, and many other national publications. He lives in northern California.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The New Direction of Personal Healing	xv
Part 1 Alternative Home Remedies
A
Acne	3	(3)
Addictions	6	(3)
Age Spots	9	(2)
Allergies	11	(6)
Alzheimer's Disease	17	(3)
Anemia	20	(4)
Anger	24	(5)
Angina	29	(4)
Anxiety and Panic Attacks	33	(5)
Arrhythmia	38	(4)
Arthritis	42	(11)
Asthma	53	(7)
Athlete's Foot	60	(4)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder	64	(3)
B
Back Pain	67	(12)
Bad Breath	79	(3)
Belching	82	(3)
Binge-Eating disorder	85	(5)
Bites and Stings	90	(4)
Bladder Infections	94	(3)
Blisters	97	(2)
Body Odor	99	(3)
Boils	102	(2)
Breast Cancer	104	(6)
Breast Changes	110	(4)
Bronchitis	114	(3)
Bruises	117	(2)
Bunions	119	(4)
Burnout	123	(3)
Burns	126	(3)
Bursitis and Tendinitis	129	(4)
C
Caffeine Dependency	133	(5)
Canker Sores	138	(4)
Cataracts	142	(3)
Chapped Lips	145	(3)
Chemotherapy and Radiation	148	(3)
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome	151	(4)
Chronic Pain	155	(4)
Cold Sores	159	(3)
Colds	162	(4)
Colon Cancer	166	(4)
Conjunctivitis	170	(3)
Constipation	173	(6)
Corns and Calluses	179	(4)
Cuts and Scrapes	183	(3)
D
Dandruff	186	(2)
Depression	188	(5)
Dermatitis	193	(5)
Diabetes (Type 1)	198	(4)
Diabetes (Type 2)	202	(7)
Diarrhea	209	(3)
Diverticulosis	212	(3)
Dizziness	215	(3)
Dry Eyes	218	(3)
Dry Hair and Split Ends	221	(2)
Dry Mouth	223	(3)
Dry Skin	226	(3)
E
Earaches	229	(4)
Earwax Buildup	233	(2)
Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis	235	(3)
Endometriosis	238	(4)
F
Fatigue	242	(7)
Fibroids	249	(3)
Fibromyalgia	252	(5)
Flatulence	257	(4)
Flu	261	(5)
Food Allergies	266	(5)
Foot Odor	271	(3)
Fractures	274	(3)
Frostbite	277	(3)
G
Gallstones	280	(3)
Genital Herpes	283	(4)
Glaucoma	287	(3)
Gout	290	(5)
Grief	295	(3)
Guilt	298	(3)
Gum disease	301	(5)
H
Hair Loss	306	(4)
Hangover	310	(3)
Headaches	313	(9)
Hearing Loss	322	(3)
Heartburn	325	(4)
Heart Disease	329	(7)
Heat Exhaustion	336	(2)
Heat Rash	338	(2)
Heel Pain	340	(3)
Hemorrhoids	343	(4)
Hepatitis C	347	(4)
High Blood Pressure	351	(5)
High Cholesterol	356	(5)
HIV and AIDS	361	(6)
Hives	367	(3)
Hypoglycemia	370	(3)
I
Impotence	373	(3)
Incontinence	376	(4)
Infertility	380	(6)
Inflammatory Bowel Disease	386	(3)
Inhibited Sexual Desire	389	(3)
Insomnia	392	(7)
Intermittent Claudication	399	(4)
Irritable Bowel Syndrome	403	(5)
J
Jet Lag	408	(2)
K
Kidney Stones	410	(5)
Knee Pain	415	(3)
L
Lactose Intolerance and Dairy Sensitivity	418	(3)
M
Macular Degeneration	421	(2)
Male Menopause	423	(4)
Memory Problems	427	(6)
Menopausal Problems	433	(9)
Menstrual Cramps	442	(3)
Motion Sickness	445	(3)
Muscle Cramps and Spasms	448	(3)
N
Neck and Shoulder Pain	451	(4)
Nightmares	455	(3)
O
Oily Hair	458	(2)
Oily Skin	460	(3)
Osteoporosis	463	(8)
Overweight	471	(9)
P
Parkinson's Disease	480	(3)
Phlebitis	483	(3)
Plantar Warts	486	(3)
Pneumonia	489	(3)
Poison Ivy and Poison Oak	492	(3)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder	495	(4)
Pregnancy Complaints	499	(6)
Premature Ejaculation	505	(4)
Premenstrual Syndrome	509	(5)
Prostate Cancer	514	(5)
Prostate Problems	519	(4)
Psoriasis	523	(4)
R
Repetitive Strain Injury	527	(5)
S
Scarring	532	(3)
Seasonal Affective Disroder	535	(3)
Shingles	538	(4)
Shinsplints	542	(3)
Shyness	545	(2)
Sinusitis	547	(4)
Sprains and Strains	551	(6)
Stroke	557	(5)
Sunburn	562	(3)
T
Temporomandibular Disorder	565	(5)
Thyroid Problems	570	(4)
Tinnitus	574	(3)
Toothache	577	(3)
Tooth Decay	580	(4)
Tooth Grinding	584	(3)
Tooth Sensitivity	587	(2)
U
Ulcers	589	(4)
V
Vaginitis	593	(3)
Varicose Veins	596	(4)
W
Warts	600	(2)
Water Retention	602	(3)
Wrinkles	605	(7)
Part 2 Alternative Healing At-a-Glance
Acupressure	612	(1)
Affirmations	613	(1)
Aromatherapy	614	(1)
Ayurvedic Medicine	615	(1)
Breath Therapy	616	(2)
Energy Healing	618	(1)
Flower Essences	619	(1)
Herbal Therapy	620	(1)
Homeopathy	621	(1)
Hydrotherapy	622	(1)
Magnet Therapy	623	(1)
Massage Therapy	624	(1)
Movement Education	625	(1)
Music Therapy and Sound Healing	626	(1)
Naturopathic Medicine	627	(1)
Qigong	628	(2)
Reflexology	630	(1)
Relaxation Therapy	631	(1)
Traditional Chinese Medicine	632	(1)
Visualization	633	(1)
Vitamin and Mineral Therapy	634	(1)
Yoga Therapy	635	(3)
Part 3 Resources
An Illustrated Guide to Acupressure Points	638	(4)
Guidelines for Safe Use of Remedies in this Book	642	(14)
Referrals and Information	656	(5)
Products	661	(6)
Panel of Experts	667	(12)
Index	679